Jar-sealing apparatus.



No. 7||,220. Patented Oct. I4, I902.

W. A. LORENZ.

JAR SEALH iG APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1801.)

(No Model.)

H/z'bnessea I nventor Lt/illiamaZLorenx. 6

By flay.

"m: NORRIS PETERS w, wow-u'mo. vmsmuurou n c IS the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM A. LORENZ, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHSTO BEECH-NUT PACKING COMPANY, OF CANAJOHARIE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK, AND WILLIAM H. HONISS, OF

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 71 1,220, dated October14, 1902. Application filed January 5, 1901. Serial No. 42,177. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM A. LORENZ,

IO for exhausting and hermetically sealingjars,

cans, and similar receptacles.

Figure 1 is a side View of this apparatusin section, taken along theline 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front view in section, taken along Fig.3 isa fragmentary side View of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2, showingone of the independent pressers in its downward or cap-closing positionunder the pressure of the readmitted air. Fig. 4. is

a side View showing a modified form of independent presser in operationupon a single ar. Hermetically-sealed jars and similar receptacles areordinarily closed by means of a cap,

the closure being made air-tight by the use of an annular gasket, ofrubber or similar material. In order to insure asubstantially uniformvacuum in all of the jars equal to that obtained in the receiver, it isdesirable to have the caps rest lightly upon their gaskets during theexhausting operation, and while in this condition it frequently happensthat the caps rest only upon the higher or larger portions of theirgaskets, due to irregularity in the jar, the gaskets, or the caps. Whilethus supported the caps are not only liable to become tilted, but areliable to leave openings through the closure between the bearingpointsof the cap. These openings, while fa- 0 cilitating the exit of the airfrom the jars during the exhausting operation,'are liable to allow thesubsequently-readmitted air-pressu re to enter the jars to some extentbefore forcing the caps down hard enough or far enough to close thoseopenings. Moreover, if the caps become tilted they do not finally bearwith uniform pressure around the gaskets, even though they may be forceddown sufiiciently to seal the jar for the time being. In such cases thecaps are liable sooner or later to become unsealed, and thus allow thecontents of the jar to be spoiled by contact with air.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatuswhich will allowthe caps to.

rest lightly upon theirgaskets without becoming tilted during theexhausting operation and which will be operated upon by the readmittedair pressure to force the caps squarely down upon their gaskets withuniform, ample, and positive pressure without allowing the readmittedair to return to the closure-joint.

In my preferred embodiment, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,this apparatus is employed in connection with an ordinaryair-exhaustirrg receiver R, which constitutes a jar-chamber, having anoutlet-pipe O for connecting with any suitable air-exhausting pump. Thepresser-chamber 9 is supported in any suitable or convenient way withinthe receiver R. The lower wall of this chamber, the side next to thereceiver, is provided with a series of jar-pressers 10, correspondingandlocated substantially coincident with the positions of the jars to beoperated upon, a separate presser being provided for each jar.Thepressers shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are in the form of pistonsworking vertically in suitable seatsin the lower wall ofthepresser-chamber 9. The weight of these pressers may be partly orwholly supported-by means of springs 11, depending from the upper wallof the chamber 9, so that little or no weight bears upon the caps duringthe exhausting operation. This presserchamber is connected with theoutlet-pipe O by means of a branch pipe 0, a shut-off valve V beinginterposed in one of these two pipes between their junction with eachother and with the apparatus. The chamber 9 is also provided with aninlet-valve I,.which is closed during the exhausting operation.

The jars J to be sealed are placed within the receiver R, one end of thejar, which is usually the capped end, being, as herein shown, locatedsubstantially in the plane of the lower ends of the pressers 10. Aconvenient way of transferring these jars to and from the receiver is toload them upon a truck 12, which constitutes a receptacle for the jarsand is provided with cells or partitions for locating the jars inposition beneath their respective pressers. The wheels of these trucksrest upon tracks 13, which may be provided with inclines 14: forelevating the jars when in their operative position to a suitablerelation to the pressers 10, the inclines leading to lower levels uponwhich the wheels travel while entering and leaving the receiver andwhich allow the jar-caps to clear the pressers.

In the operation of this machine the filled jars, having their capsplaced in position upon their respective gaskets, are placed in thereceiver in the position shown in the figures. The front of the receiveris then hermetically sealed and the exhausting operation begins, duringwhich time the inlet I is closed and the valve V is opened, therebypermitting the air to be exhausted equally from the interior of thechamber 9, the receiver R, and the jars J. When a suitable vacuum hasbeen thus obtained, the valve V is closed and the inlet I is opened,thereby permitting the air to return to the chamber 9, while excludingit from the interior of the receiver R, thus enabling the atmosphericpressure to have its full eifect upon the pressers 10, which are thusforced down independently upon their respective caps with a pressuredetermined by the areas of the pressers, which should be substantiallyequal in order to put equal pressure upon all of the jars. Having thussafely closed all of the jars, the valve V is opened,

so as to readmit the air into the interior of the receiver from thechamber 9 by way of the pipes 0 and O. The front of the receiver may nowbe removed, the truck 12 withdrawn, and the sealed jars replaced with anew lot, upon which the same operation is repeated.

Fig. 4: illustrates a modified form of the pressers 10 of the precedingfigures. In this case a flexible diaphragm 16 is secured to the lowerwall of the chamber 9, over each of the jars. The operation of thismodified arrangement is like that already described, the air beingexhausted from the interior of the receiver and the interior of thechamber 9, af ter which the air is readmitted first to the chamber 9 andthen to the receiver.

Other modifications of this apparatus will suggest themselves to thoseskilled in the art to suit the number and kind of jars to be operatedupon or to suit other existing conditions. Where the nature of theircontents permits, the jars may be inverted or may be turned upon theirsides. Under some circumstances it-may be convenient to have thepressers bear against the bottom ends of the jars'instead of bearingagainst the caps, as

herein shown, it being immaterial which end of the jar receives thepressure, so long as the efiect is to press each jar and cap togetherwith sufficient force to seal the jar before readmitting the air to theclosure-joint. The valve V may be omitted if the size and length of theconnecting-passage O 0 between the presser-chamber 9 and the interior ofthe receiver R be made of proportions which will prevent the air fromreaching the jars until after the caps have been closed down.

I claim as my invention 1. In a jar-sealing apparatus, the combinationof a jar-chamber, a presser-chamber adjacent thereto,independently-movable jarpressers interposed between the two chambers,means for exhausting air from both chambers, and means for readmittingair to the presser-chamber.

2. In a jar-sealing apparatus, the combination of a j ar-chamber forreceiving a series of jars, a presser-chamber adjacent thereto, providedwith a corresponding series of independently-movable jar-presserslocated adjacent to their respective jars, means for ex-.

hausting air from both chambers, and means for readmitting air first tothe presser-chamher and then to the jar-chamber.

3. In a jar-sealing apparatus, the combination of a jar-chamber forreceiving a series of jars, a presser-chamber adjacent thereto, providedwith a corresponding series of independent piston-pressers locatedadjacent to their respective jars, means for exhausting air from bothchambers, and means for readmitting air first to the presser-chamber andthen to the jar-chamber.

4E. The combination with an exhausting and sealing apparatus for jars,of a resilientlysupported jar-presser, and means for readmit.- tingatmospheric pressure to operate the presser.

5. In a jar-sealing apparatus, the combination of a jar-chamber, apresser-chamber, a resiliently-supported presser interposed between thetwo chambers, means for exhausting atmospheric pressure from bothchambers, and means for readmitting atmospheric pressure to the presser.

6. In a jar-sealing apparatus, the combination of a jar-chamber, apresser-chamber, a series of resiliently-supported pressers interposedbetween the two chambers, means for exhausting atmospheric pressure fromboth chambers, and means for readmitting atmospheric pressure to thepresser.

7. In a jar-sealing apparatus, the combination of a jar-chamber, apresser-chamber adjacent thereto, independently-movable jarpressersinterposed between the two chambers, means for sustaining thejar-pressers, means for exhausting air from both chambers, and means forreadmitting air to the presserchamber.

8. In a j ar-sealing apparatus, the combination of a jar-chamber, apresser-chamber, a Signed at Hartford, Connecticut, this 29th wallbetween the two chambers, provided with day of December, 1900. a movablejar-presser, a receptacle for holdr ing a jar in operative relation tothe presser, WILLIAM LORENA' 5 means for exhausting both chambers, andWitnesses:

means for readlnitting air to the presser- JOS. MERRITT, chamber. WM. H.Homes.

